What we Provide for Children and Families

Preschool Program

Our preschool program for 3-5 year olds is designed to encourage a balance of child
initiated and teacher facilitated activities. Our preschool program offers children
a variety of choices provided within a carefully prepared indoor and outdoor environment.
Age-appropriate program activities include art, music, dramatic play, block play,
manipulatives, literature, books, language arts, cooking, water and sand play, gardening,
animal care, outdoor enrichment and creative problem-solving activities. Language
and literacy will be built-in within the hands-on curriculum.

A nutritious breakfast snack and afternoon snack are provided daily. A daily rest
time is provided for full-day children. The teacher-child ratio for our program is
a flexible ratio of 1 teacher:8 children within an entire group.

Toddler Program

Our toddler program for 18-36 month olds focuses on developing warm, nurturing, and
trusting relationships between toddler and caregiver for the young child to feel confident
and competent to explore and try new social-emotional, cognitive, and motor skills.
Toddlers learn lessons holistically---they do not segregate learning into separate
lessons or domains. Our Child Development Center teachers will practice responsive
care, where individualization of care is dependent on truly observing and getting
to know the whole child. Developmentally relevant exploration activities and sensory-motor
interests will be abundant in the toddlers program.

We highly encourage regular parent volunteers to participate in the program. The
regular teacher-child ratio for our toddler program is a flexible 1 teacher:4 children.
At times, we may have as many as 1 teacher:6 children, or as little as 1 teacher:4
children. Our toddler program for 18 months-36 month old children is a special group
where we practice the following research-based developmental principles:

Primary Caregiving

Your toddler will be in a small group of up to 6 other toddlers within the entire
group of 12 toddlers. The Toddler Teachers will assign the group into small groups
of six toddlers assigned to a primary caregiver who would track and know the child’s
cues, patterns, and preferences of care.

Continuity of Care

Your toddler’s primary teacher will remain consistent throughout the year and stay
with the toddlers for continuity.

Small Groups

Our program will maintain consistent and identifiable small groups with the toddler
program for the young child’s safety, security, and trust in the caregiver and his
or her peers.

Parent Participation

The Child Development Center curriculum also believes that the parent is an expert
of their own child.

We encourage contribution of parent’s knowledge of their own child, and we contribute
our own observations and knowledge of the child at school. In the best interest of
the child, we encourage “teamwork” and partnerships with the teaching staff and parents
when it comes to the child’s own learning and development.

At the Child Development Center, children’s interests, their motivation for exploration
and discovery, and parent cooperation and partnership is our primary focus. Parent
participation is highly encouraged and welcomed, especially as it is beneficial for
their child’s learning.

In relation to the Las Positas College vision statement, the Child Development Center
meets the child and his family where they are and creates “real” experiences for them
to build their capacity, speak to their potential, and transform the way they see
the world.